Bird-brained ideas about the coming pandemic

Um, is it just me, or does this country seem horribly unprepared for an outbreak of bird flu? In one of the most recent juxtapositions, we find out the federal government has worked out the details such mundane matters as printing U.S. currency (that’ll be overseas)… but doesn’t know who would get vaccinated first.

The Veterans Affairs Department has developed a medical exam that could be conducted in VA hospital parking lots, with those who suspect they may be infected able to get a quick exam. The program is modeled after a drive-through flu vaccination program conducted last year.

The same story says the government believes bird flu could reach this country in a few weeks and probably will be here inside the span of months. More on the federal response here.

Locally, King County Executive Ron Sims today bragged in a press release that, “I intend King County to be the most prepared jurisdiction in the country, bar none.”

“The worldwide avian flu caused me to direct my staff and Public Health staff to prioritize preparations for the prospect of an outbreak. Pandemic flu is the number one public health threat facing the nation. Bird flu is spreading rapidly across the globe, and I am determined that we are fully prepared to meet the threat in a way that will minimize loss of life and disruption to our local economy and the social order.

He goes on to say, though, that “we have much more to do.”

I’ll say. Check out the county’s main web page on bird flu. Question: Will bird flu make it dangerous to eat chicken? Answer: “The U.S. government has banned imported poultry from countries affected by bird flu. At the present time, bird flu is not present in the U.S.”

Well, no duh! I’m not our paper’s expert on this subject — that would be science reporter Tom Paulson — but I am a little concerned. Should I be?

Finally, last thing out of the box on bird flu today is — wouldn’t you know it? — those clever capitalists at Provo, Utah-based PureAdvantage Team, selling a “exceptionally broad-spectrum disinfectant” that is “approved and registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency.”

They claim their product, based on quarternary ammounium compounds, will help prevent disease transmission and keep your hands feeling nice even though you’re washing them a gazillion times a day. You can see their claims here. Anyone know the truth of these claims?